Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-07-16
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A.Historx' Of: HdVekture
By J. RIDER HAoGARn
CHAPTER XIV.
THE SPIRIT OF LIFE.

did as Twas bid, and In fear and trembling
felt myself drawn over the edge Of the stone.
sprawled my legs out, but could touch moth
ing.
II am going to falli" gasped.
"Nay, let thyself go and trust to me-"
answered Ayesha-
Now II the position Is considered, It will be
easily understood that this was q greater de-
mand upon my confidence than was justified
by my knowledge of Ayesba's character.
For all knew she might DO In the very act
OF consigning me to horrible doom. But In
life we sometimes have 10 lay our faith upon
strange affairs, and so 1t was now.
"Let myself gol" she cried, and, having no
choice, did
felt myself slide pace or two down the
sloping surface OF the rock, and then pass into
the air, and the thought flashed through my
brain that was lost But no. In another
instant my feet struck against rocky floor,
and I felt that was standing on something
solid, and out Of reach Of the wind, which
could hear singing away overhead. As
stood there thanking my stars for these small
msrcies, there was q slip and scuffie, and
down came Leo alongside of me.
"Halloo, old fellowr he called out, aare
you therei This is getting interesting, Ia 1t
notf"
just then, with a terrific yell, Job arrived
right on tho top Of US, knocking US both
Town. BY the time that we had struggled to
our feet again Ayesha was standing among
US, and bidding US light the lamps, which
fortunately remained uninjured, as did the
spare jar Of oil
got out my box Of Bryant g. Mays wax
matches, and they struck Us merrily there In
bhat awful place as In London drawing
room.
In couple Of minutes both the lamps were
ahght, and a curious scene they revealed We
were huddled up in rocky chamber, some
twelve feet square, and scared enough we
looked; that Is, es,ept Ayesha, who was
standing calmly with her arms folded and
waiting for the lamps to burn up The cham
Der appeared to be partly natural and partly
followed out of the top Of the cone The roof
OF the natural part was formed of the swing.
ing stone, and that Of the back part Of the
chamber, which sloped downward, was hewn
from the live rock. For the rest, the place
was warm and dry-a perfect haven Of rest
compared to the giddy pinnacle above, and
The quivering spur that shot out to meet ii in
midair.
There said She, safely have we come,
though once feared that the rocking stone
would fall with We and precipitate ye into the
bottomless depths beneath, for do believe
chat the cleft goeth down to the very womb
OF the world. The rock whereon the stone
resteth hath crumbled beneath the swinging
wniOht nd pnx fbot he n 81 4
job, who was sitting on the floor, feebly wip-
ing his forehead with red cotton pocket
handkerchief, "whom they rightly can the
Pig for as pig is he stupid, hath let fall
tho plank, 1t will not be easy to return across
the gulf, and to that end must make q plan.
But now rest awhile and look at this place.
What think we that it isl"
"We know not" answered
4Wouldst thou believe that once O man did
choose this airy nest for daily habitation,
and did here endure for many years, leaving
it only but one day in every ten to seek food
and water and oil that tho people brought,
more than he could carry, and laid as az,
Offering In the mo1th of the tunnel through
which we passed hitherr
We looked up wonderingly, and she con-
tinued:
SYet so it was Tiers was q man--Noot
he named himsef--who, though he lived In
+, the latter days, had of the wisdom of the cons
OF Kor. A hermit was he, and philosopher
and skilled IN the secrets of nature, and he II
was who discovered the fire that shall show
ye, which is natures blood and life, and also
that he who bathed therein and breathed
! thereof should live while nature lives. But
like unto thee, o Holly, this man, Moot
would not turn his knowledge to account
~ he said, was it for man to live, for mar
was born to die Therefore did he tell hi
secret to none, and therefore did he come ant
| live here, where the seeker after life mus
pass, and was revered of the Amahagger o.
! the day as holy and hermit And when frs
] came to this country--knowest thou how
came, Kallikratesl Another time will tel
thee-it is a strange tale-1 heard Of thi
philosopher, and waited for him when b
came to fetch his food, and returned with hin
4 hither, though greatly did fear to tread tn
gulf. Then did beguile him with my beaut
and my wit, and flatter him with my tongue
so that Ire led me down and showed me th
fire, and told me the secrets of the fire, bu
he would not suffer me to step therein, ant
fearing lest he should stay me, refrainet
knowing that the man was very old and 500
would die. And returned, having learne
from him all that he knew Of the wonderf'
shirt of the world, and that was much, Il
tho man was wise and very ancient, and /
n,,,-ity and abstinence and the contemplation
~ bis innocent mind had worn thin the VI
bet,veen that which we see and the great |
visible truths, the whisper Of whose wings
8 times we hear Is they sweep through the gre
n air Of the world. Then it was but very &c
= DAYS after met thee, my Kallikrates, W
4 had wandered hither with the Egypul
;. Amenartas, and learned to love for the ID
: ana last tine. once and forever. 50 that